Get Answers: Top Questions From Today’s NBA Meetings

Rob McAllister answers some of the top questions that emerged from the meetings today with NBA Commissioner David Stern.

A: The Maloofs say they don’t have to sell to the Sacramento group if the Seattle deal is stopped. Is this true?

Q: Commissioner David Stern on March 12: “It is the owners’ priority in the first instance to decide who they want to sell the team to. That said, at the end of the day it is for the NBA Board of Governors to make the ultimate decision as to who the team will be sold to and where it will be located. I’ve spent a fair number of years to establish that power and prerogative within the Board of Governors.”

Q: Vivek Ranadive spoke about NBA 3.0. What does that mean, and is it a benefit for Sacramento?

A: Remember the Mike Bibby shot that beat the Lakers in game five of the Western Conference Finals in 2002? This could be that for Sacramento off the floor. It is very big in the battle to try and keep the team here. No longer are we talking about just a building and the strength of the city. With Vivek, we are talking about global expansion and a technology revolution inside future NBA arenas that will reshape the reach and experience of a game. Sacramento would be the leader of this new phase of the league.

Q: What kind of delay will we see if the owners do not make a decision by April 19?

A: It appears the wait will not be long. Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver said in New York Wednesday that the league owners understand this cannot drag on. There are schedules to consider if playing in Sacramento or Seattle, there are sales of season tickets and the securing of corporate sponsors cannot all take place late into summer. A decision will need to be made for the health of the league and fairness to the two cities no more than a few weeks after the April 19 meeting.